Customer Reviews

The Los Alamos Primer: The First Lectures on How To Build an Atomic Bomb

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In 1942, J. Robert Oppenheimer gathered six of the top theoretical physicists in the U.S. gathered in Berkeley to discuss how to go about making the first atomic bomb. One of them was Robert Serber. When Los Alamos opened in March, 1943, Serber gave a series of lectures based on that conference, so everyone would have a common frame of refernce for the work to come. They were then written up as Los Alamos publication #1, classified Top Secret, and given to every scientist joining the project. Here they are, with a nice introduction by Richard Rhodes, (author of THE MAKING OF THE ATOMIC BOMB and DARK SUN: THE MAKING OF THE HYDROGEN BOMB; both recommended), and extensive annotations by Serber, covering (among other things) where they were right, were they were wrong, and how to discuss nuclear weapons in front of the contruction personal without them figuring out what you're talking about. Essential for anyone seriously interested in the Manhatten Project or The Bomb.

If you want to understand the bomb, there's no substitue for this book. I have a degree in physics with a decade of dust on it and found this presentation to be just within my understanding. If you don't know calculus and freshman physics, you're probably not going to understand it very well. If you do, it's fascinating.

This is an incredible book. This is originally a compilation of Robert Serber's notes he gave to incoming scientists at Los Alamos in the 1940s, explaining to them the purpose of the Manhattan Project and the expected means by which they would achieve their goal. This particular copy, courtesy of the University of California Press, contains not only an introduction by Mr. Richard Rhodes (author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb - strongly recommended), but notes throughout the Primer itself by Robert Serber. It is fascinating to read comments on a document by the man who wrote it many years afterward. Be warned: This is NOT a how-to book, and does require some basic knowledge of calculus and physics. It is, however, unbelievably interesting, and worth the cost to add it to your collection.

This is a truly exciting book for people with the desire to understand bomb physics. This book consists out of the original lecture notes from a series of seminars given in 1943 to the bomb scientists at the start of the Manhattan Project. These lecture notes are clearly annotated so that a layman can understand the bomb. Although the book discusses mainly the knowledge of 1943, the clear annotations of the author comments also on the advances since 1943.

In this book you will learn to calculate the energy of an atomic bomb after already 5 pages using only one simple physical law (no, not Einstein!). When you are halfway in the book, you will understand the calculations of the critical mass.

However to fully appreciate the book, you need to have a basic understanding of mathematics and physics. (it would be nice if you know what a differential equation is.)

The book also contains several funny anekdotes which make it a truly astonishing reading.

This book was a new addition to my library on 'Special Weapons'. I've had a long term interest in all things dealing with them. The Los Alamos Primer would have been a great purchase if it had simply consisted of the original lectures. The 4 men who contribute to this work have produced an important book.
Richard Rhodes introduced and edited (conducted) this book. I believe any book with his name attached, is worth a buy. I find his writing to be very clear and interesting.
Robert Serber, who gave the original lectures, does an excellent job of a literary 'voice over' on them. He explains, expounds, and fills out the basic lectures.
On top of what those 2 guys have made, this box of Cracker Jacks came with a very nice surprise. Included in this book are 2 old (1940-41) memorandums by Rudolf Peierls and Otto Frisch. These were instrumental in the notification of the Atomic potentials to the US/British governments. I have read about them, but never expected to read them. In 3 words- BUY THIS BOOK!

This book gives a brief and highly technical summary of what was known about nuclear fission in 1942 and how to go about turning this knowledge into a "practical weapon". Great fun to read if you have an engineering or physics degree or similar background knowledge. The author has extensively annotated and updated the terse original lecture notes that were given to new arrivals at Los Alamos. Interestingly, the annotations now take up more space that the original notes. These annotations may help to make the subject accessible to a non-technical audience as they provide invaluable historical and technical background. Invaluable for anyone interested in science history and/or the Manhattan Project.

Excellent book, it takes a bit to stick with it, but the modern day excerpts/perspectives threaded into the book give it a good historical perspective. This is a good combo to go together with Richard Rhodes "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" and "Dark Sun".

- for anyone seriously interested in our nuclear heritage, weaponeering, or the NWEPS program. Gives INCREDIBLE insight as to the minds and directions these young physicists were going.

This book is a must-read. Simple, concise, straightforward technically. You gotta read it, 'nuff said.

This is a fascinating insight into what physicists were thinking at the time of building the bomb, together with a sometimes amusing retrospective by Robert Serber. Although it is technical in places the lectures were originally simplified to present the essential physics, which is perfectly accessible to any high-school graduate.

The Frisch-Peierls memorandum is a nice touch; after reading Serber's lectures it gives and idea of what others were thinking and where the major uncertainties lay.

The electronic version of the book loses a star due to the execrable editing; despite the steep price the publishers evidently decided none was necessary. The display equations are simply copy and paste images interspersed with improperly typeset inline math littered with errors. The original lecture extracts and Serber's commentary are in the same font and it's not always easy to tell which is which. A shoddy job, UCP.

This is a good book for someone who already knows a little about modern physics in general or the making of an atomic bomb. Written by the scientist who was charged with bringing new arrivals to the Los Alamos up to speed. Reading this book is like enrolling in a short course taught by a master teacher. You learn the same things that a scientist or engineer working on the Manhattan Project would have learned.

If you have a month and want to learn as much as possible, read Richard Rhode's books on the subject The Making of the Atomic Bomb and Dark Sun: The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb. Be prepared to be exhausted. If you have an afternoon and want to learn as much as possible sit down with this book. You'll learn a surprising amount of material. It's the ultimate crash course in fission bombs.